Chapter 28: Yuletide Surprises

"Have a biscuit then Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall offered him as he took a seat in her office after class.

"Thank you professor," Harry accepted, knowing better than to even think of refusing.

"Right then, I wanted to speak with you about your suspicions concerning Sue Li, she was checked for the Imperious and no such curse was found to be controlling her and before you ask, she was also checked for any and all spells or potions that would have created the same affect."

"But that's impossible! I know what I saw professor," Harry argued, frustrated that his lead had turned into nothing when he was positive of what he had seen.

McGonagall pursed her lips before saying quietly, "honestly Potter, I'm inclined to believe you. I know what Aurora told you, that it's not possible to see evidence of the Imperious Curse with the naked eye, but the truth is, it's difficult and somewhat rare nowadays, but not impossible. Not even highly unlikely. Aurora knows that people possess the ability- either from careful observation of others or simple magical adeptness we've never been quite sure- but she is always skeptical of people, without already having a firm reputation for it, announcing they have seen it. I, however," and here McGonagall's mouth twitched slightly, "know firsthand the perils of ever underestimating your word when it comes to strange or especially dangerous situations."

Harry gave her a sheepish look but could not help but feel a slight smugness that she was finally listening to him after all these years.

"It is possible that that Miss Li had been cursed, asked to perform whatever task was needed of her and subsequently released from the curse, in which case there is no way of detecting whether or not someone had been under the influence of the curse at a previous time," McGonagall went on to explain.

Harry nodded, once again thinking back to the first Death Eater trials. If there had been a way of knowing who had been under the curse, than people like Lucius Malfoy never could have claimed it as a defense.

"So what do we do now?" Harry asked.

"We do not do anything, Potter. I shouldn't even be informing you of this but I find myself impressed with your decision to actually come to a teacher about something for a change and this is my way of... encouraging that good behavior. As for the staff... Professor Dumbledore has of course been informed as well as all of the Heads of House to be on the look out for any strange behavior and to be vigilant of any messages going in or out of the castle."

Harry nodded hesitating slightly before asking, "Do you think this is related to what happened to the Hufflepuffs the night of Halloween?"

McGonagall's eyebrows rose before shook her head slightly, "Why I am even surprised? I believe you chose well with a career as an Auror, Potter. I daresay you would go bored without the intrigue if you chose anything else," she commented drily. "But to answer your question, the correlation between the two of events have been discussed but at this point there is no clear reason to assume that it was the same person. I know that you have grown used to finding the worst case scenario over the years, but I would remind you that in a large school there is always someone up to something but more often than not, those people are up to more mischief than mayhem, do you understand?"

Harry nodded. With no reason to link the two crimes, McGonagall was also working off the assumption that the Hufflepuffs were poisoned in a prank gone wrong.

"Now then," McGonagall's tone shifted and Harry could see that she had effectively closed the discussion for another topic, one that she moved to with uncharacteristic hesitancy. "I saw that you have not signed the list of students staying in the school for the winter holidays. Harry... I hope that you are not going back to your relatives," she stated plainly.

Harry blinked for a moment, caught off guard by the suddenness of the topic change before smiling slightly at his Head of House for her concern. "No professor, I wouldn't imagine that to be a happy Christmas for me or the Dursleys. Mrs. Weasley invited me to stay with them for the break which will be brillaint but I think I actually might have to spend a day or two with Sn- Professor Snape to work out a few things with the Vampires."

There was a loosening of tension around McGonagall's eyes and Harry started slightly as he realized how nervous she actually had been for him. He smiled slightly at the knowledge that she felt more comfortable with him walking into a potentially warring vampire clan than stepping foot back on Privet Drive. Then again, Harry didn't think that anyone outside of the clan, himself, or Snape knew how bad things had gotten for the Clan.

"Good, I'm glad that you'll be able to spend the holidays amongst real family Harry."

Harry blinked at her words before smiling brightly, "I do too professor, thank you. Er... are you going to be able to see your niece at all?" he asked remembering that in the start of term she had mentioned visiting her.

McGonagall's eyes widened in slight surprise before softening as she smiled at him, "actually I'll be seeing her and my sister for Christmas Eve for a few hours, it's something I'm looking forward to." Harry had never given much thought to the fact that his teachers all lived in a castle ten months out of the year surrounded by students without any family of their own. He thought it must be very lonely. After years of suffering through the Dursleys, or else simply missing his real family Harry desperately desired his own wife and kids in the future and could not imagine giving those things up.

"I'm glad that you'll get to see them."

"Thank you Mr. Potter, I hope you have a happy Christmas indeed... I have a terrible feeling that this might be last good Christmas that any of us will have for quite a while and I've learned long ago to savor such moments when I can."

Harry's smile faded but he nodded at the truth in her words, "I agree professor."

HPHPHP

Harry smoothed down his new dress robes and for the first time in his life, truly admired his own reflection in the mirror. Harry had to admit that for all of the annoyances Lavender's new 'relationship' with Ron had caused in his life in the past couple of weeks, she had at least given him solid advice when it came to getting ready for the party. She had given him a tub of Sleekeazy and even shown him out to use it so that for once his hair was styled and tame. The green and silver robes, that every single one of his dormmates had heckled him for over the Slytherin colors, were pressed and well-tailored. And while he had not even considered shoes as part of the outfit, Lavender had come through once again by ensuring that he had ordered a pair of dress shoes to come in time for the party.

The best part was that Harry and Ginny wouldn't be trapped at the party with a bunch of suck-up Slug Club members alone. As it turned out Lavender's parents were old friends of the professor and she too had scored an invitation and had delighted invited Ron to accompany her. Ron had a point of telling this to Hermione one evening, ensuring that she was fully aware that Lavender had 'asked him because she wanted to'. Luckily, Lavender had also been quick to offer her help in sorting out Ron's outfit. The twins had, at Harry's secret condition for his TriWizard money, bought Ron new dress robes the year before but the tall red-head had already grown out of them. However, while Lavender would never win accolades for her stellar class performance or grasp of magical theory, she had made sure to master every mending, altering and sewing charm known to man and had lengthened the gowns to professional standards.

Harry felt a slight pang as several people- boys, girls and couples- took photos of themselves to send home and Harry was once again reminded that he had no one to show such a photo to, nor anyone to ask how the night had gone.

But all of those old worries were thrown out of his mind the moment he saw Ginny, who looking simply magnificent. She had forgone traditional wizarding robes and instead went with a muggle dress. She had confided to him ahead of time that she had borrowed the dress from her muggleborn roommate that had brought a few along for just such an occasion. It appeared that Ginny too had studied tailoring charms for the dress fit her perfectly and Harry noted that by either chance or magic, the color matched his own robes exactly. Her hair was styled loosely, with curls flowing down her shoulders just as he liked it rather than the ornate up-do styles that most of the other girls had used for night.

"You look amazing," Harry told, greeting her with a kiss that sent the usual warm tendrils down his spine.

"Well I can't have my date upstaging me. Though personally I like when your hair is all over the place. It reminds me of your personality- wild and untamed," she teased him.

"Just for tonight let's hope everything is as tame as possible," Harry commented, noting idly how most teenagers would probably be saying the opposite when going to a party. But then a 'wild' night had very different connotations for him and while he wouldn't mind a rather tipsy and possibly flirtatious Ginny, he would very much rather avoid further death and destruction.

"Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm.

Ginny grinned at him and came with him excitedly. The party was being held in a classroom in the dungeons, apparently it was near where Slughorn's old office had been when he had been Potions Master and upon entering Harry saw quickly that something had been done to enlarge the room. The party consisted of mostly Sixth and Seventh Year students, a few kids from well-connected families in Fifth Year had also warranted an invite as well as several people that Slughorn had invited for the evening.

Ginny was star struck when she met Gwenog Jones from the HolyHead Harpies and although Harry had known that Ginny had always had idle aspirations of playing professional Quidditch, for the first time she dropped all pretense of 'maybe being able to play someday' and revealed her true heartfelt desire to play for the all-female team that she idolized. Harry found himself swept up in her excitement. Ever since he had heard the words of the prophesy in Dumbledore's office, there had been a part of him that had been certain that he would never have a real future in the Wizarding World. Voldemort was stronger, he was more powerful, he had more allies, and most of all he was more experienced. It seemed absurd to Harry that he could ever beat him. He would fight because to Harry there was no other option but as much as spoke of a future as an Auror, it seemed more like a dream than a goal. But standing beside Ginny as her eyes sparkled as she retold the riveting tale of the last Harpies game as though she had been there personally, Harry could see it all. He and Ginny. Going to her games and watching her flying professionally, the two of them settling down and starting a real family for the first time.

He was so captivated by his own date that he nearly missed the stir that was being caused by the entrance of the newest couple to arrive. It was only when Ginny herself nudged him with a whispered, "did you know about this?" that he finally looked up.

Hermione had just come in with Cormac McLaggen. Harry blinked in surprise. McLaggen had been a needling thorn in his side all term. Under different circumstances, Harry might have actually taken up a proper fight with the arrogant Seventh Year but truth be told the older boy was too far down on his list priorities to care about. Still to see his best friend on his arm for the night was not a comforting image.

He took Ginny's hand and pulled her over to greet the couple. He noted that McLaggen was also wearing extremely expensive, and well-tailored robes and from the way he moved it was clear that he wanted everyone to know it. Hermione on the other hand was looking... hot. There was really no other way to describe her. Harry wasn't sure where his pragmatic and responsible friend had gotten such a low-cut and form-fitting dress but he couldn't deny that Hermione had planned her revenge on Ron well. He considered Hermione to be the closest thing to a sister that he would ever have but with that dress... it was hard to remember that this was the same friend that he usually saw in bulky sweaters or ink-stained robes.

"Hermione, you were certainly keeping this a surprise," Harry commented drily to her. Hermione glanced at McLaggen but he was currently talking to one of his mates and ignoring his date for the time being. "Yes well," Hermione answered pursing her lips slightly as her eyes scanned the room, finally landing on Ron who was currently in the corner with Lavender, not-so-inconspicuously pouring Firewhiskey into their punch cups, "I rather thought that he might bother Ronald the most. Two can play at his game. Find myself a real date," she grumbled.

Harry inwardly marveled at the lengths girls would go to get back at someone who had wronged them and vowed to thread carefully with Ginny.

"Hermione you look amazing, my idiot brother is going to lose his mind," Ginny giggled conspiratorially. "But you should be careful," she warned suddenly turning serious, "this is a dangerous game you're playing and I hope you know that these things tend to take on a life of their own."

Hermione shrugged defensively but Harry didn't catch the next part of what she said. Slughorn had just made an appearance and Harry knew that he needed to seize his chance. "Gin, I'm sorry I have something I need to take care of, I'll be back soon. I promise," he assured her hurriedly. Ginny started to protest but Harry had already moved. He had been thinking about his plan for a week. He needed to get Slughorn to give up information that he had gone out of his way to conceal for over half a century and for him to do that, Harry needed to resort to some of what he referred to as Dursley-rules. Harry might have hated every moment he had stayed with his relatives but he couldn't deny that he had learned some much needed survival skills. There were some, like his perseverance and independence, that he used all the times, while others, such as a need to manipulate opponent when you were at a disadvantage he had let fall to the wayside in his years at Hogwarts.

Harry had thought carefully about what he had seen in the memory that Dumbledore had shown him in his office. When he had first seen it, he had been carefully watching a young Tom Riddle, seeing the boy that would grow into the mass murderer. A boy that was roughly the same age as Harry at that point and yet carried himself so very differently, a boy who already wore the ring that signified the fact that he had already murdered his birth father while still a student. But when he thought back on it, he concentrated on what he needed to know about a younger Slughorn. A man that was flattered easily with gifts and praise and took more stock in his own creature comforts than on being a good role model for his students.

Harry waved largely at Ron who nodded quickly and pulled Lavender along with him into position, if need be. When he had first asked Ron for his help he had known that his best friend would not let him down, what he had been unprepared for was the enthusiastic and strangely unquestioned assistance of Lavender as well. Perhaps Ron was onto something about his minions idea.

"Professor Slughorn," Harry called out, "I was hoping to get a moment to talk to you."

Slughorn turned from his conversation with a short man with rather long, stringy hair that, very much like Slughorn was quite large around the middle. Despite his rather distinctive appearance, Harry didn't recognize him. The man was expensively dressed but the affect was ruined by two large stains on his chest and stomach and a general look of unkemptness about the wrinkled state of his robes however, though the man obviously paid little to no attention to his personal appearance his sharp eyes seemed to take in everything that was going on. "Harry! My boy, I'm so delighted that you could make it tonight. Have you had the chance to meet Gavin? Gavin Thorton is the owner and publisher of the Daily Prophet."

Harry's eyes widened at his information but tried to pass it off as nonchalance. "No sir but I imagine that you're better acquainted with me than I am with you given some of your articles."

"Perils of public life Mr. Potter though I readily admit that you are nothing if not good for business," Gavin admitted sticking out his hand, Harry was sure to grip firmly, bearing down slightly.

Harry was glad to see that he had guessed right in that Slughorn was serving some light alcohol at the party for his overaged guests, while there was no Firewhiskey, there was wine and mead and judging from the redness of his face, Slughorn was a bit of a lightweight. He casually threw his arm around Harry and held him there as he continued to speak to Thorton. "I have been after this young man for weeks but he he's been playing hard to get. Constantly busy of course, I'm sure you know yourself from the Prophet just how integral's been at the Ministry."

"And I'm sorry that I've been so busy. I'm just glad that you were so persistent sir, this is the best spread I've seen here at Hogwarts. Even puts the Yule Ball that we had a couple of years ago to shame."

"Oh Harry false flattery never works... but who am I kidding I adore it," Slughorn laughed robustly.

"Actually sir," Harry grinned, "coming from me, I'm being completely sincere. I hated the Yule Ball but I think that had more to do with being forced into a Tournament that I never entered, forced to dance in front of the school when I have two left feet and just generally being 14."

Slughorn and Thorton were now both laughing and Harry chuckled at himself remembering how self-conscious he had been in Fourth Year. It had only been two years since that disastrous night but it all seemed so long ago. How scared he had been about asking Cho, how much he had dreaded having to open the ball, how much every newspaper headline with his name on it had bothered him, but here he was now- coming to a party with a girl that he crazy about and honestly not caring in the slightest what people were looking his way or not.

"Professor-"

"Ah well Harry, technically I've never been your professor, I'm only at Hogwarts this year as a guest. I would very much appreciate it if you called me Horace."

Bingo. And that was just the opening that Harry had needed.

"Well then... Horace, I wanted to make up for all the times that I had to put you off and I was wondering if you might just be interested in seeing something rather unusual."

Slughorn blinked in surprise but nodded agreeably, Gavin Thorton looked as though his own Christmas had come early but Harry could not risk this private conversation being overheard, luckily he had planned for such a problem. He scratched the back of his head and Lavender stumbled forward, spilling her drink onto Thorton.

"Oh I so very sorry, oh Merlin, Ron do you have any idea who this is?"

"Oh no I don't think that I do, Lav?"

Harry used the distraction created by his friends to pull Slughorn out into the corridor, subtly using a spell that he had been practicing for three days, a non-verbal refilling spell, on his drink. Harry was going to use every advantage that he possibly could. If he tipped his hand too early and Slughorn knew that he was after the memory, he might never get a second chance at this.

"I had heard that you were the former Head of Slytherin, what was it like back then?"

"Oh those were some of my fondest memories. Leading such a fine and noble House, instilling and nurturing the qualities that lead to success. I know as a proud Gryffindor you must look poorly on that!" Slughorn laughed. "Oh I take no offense! Your mother used to be very cheeky with me whenever I would beg her to switch over to the house of snakes."

"That's right," Harry said, more genuinely than he had been up until that point, "you said that you remembered my mother."

"My dear boy, your mother was my favorite student in 40 years of teaching! Clever, cheeky, beautiful and a kindness about her that few could ever equal. Lily was a fine woman and all other things aside about you, my boy, she would be very proud of the son that she never got to see grow up."

Harry blinked, unexpectedly taken aback by emotion and feeling strangely guilty at the manipulation that he still needed to do. "Thank you sir, I don't know if you realize how much that means to me to have you say that. However, the reason why I bring up Slytherin house is I'm not sure if you had heard about a particular ability that I have. I know it caused quite a sensation in the papers but- no offense to your friend of course- they have not always been truthful when it comes to me. That being said... the rumor about me being a parselmouth is true."

Slughorn blinked, momentary surprised, fear flashing quickly across his features only to be replaced by fascination. "How extraordinary," he breathed thoughtfully. "I apologize if my reaction upset you but I am an old man and prejudices have a way of dying hard indeed."

"That's alright sir your reaction was far more mild than many. But I rather thought that as a former Head of Slytherin you might be interested in seeing the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets?"

For a moment Harry was quite concerned that the older man had simply stopped breathing. Slughorn was pale, his fingers trembling slightly, and it was quite fortunate that there was a wall next to him because Harry was not sure if he would have been able to hold up a man at least five stone heavier than himself.

"You cannot be serious! It's impossible! No one has ever found it!"

"I promise you sir that it is not a legend or a myth. Slytherin did leave a chamber behind but I was not the first person to find it. If you would like to see the entrance, I can show it to you."

Naturally Slughorn could not be denied. The chamber was legendary, particularly among Slytherins and he would never pass up such a tempting treat.

Harry led him towards the girl's bathroom, speaking only of his mother for the moment, allowing Slughorn to keep sipping on his drink, hoping that he had yet to notice that it should have been long empty at this point. While Harry's intention in switching topics had been to keep him distracted before finally asking for the right information, but Harry found that he was truly touched by some of things that his mother's old professor had to say about her. He found himself telling the man about his mother's journals and her own notes in the text, thrilled that there was someone out there who had appreciated her. He was grateful that there was someone that truly missed Lily, not for being the mother of the Boy-Who-Lived but for the person that she had always been and it was a gift that someone knew the real Lily Potter, even Harry missed more the idea of a mother and the hopes of what she might have been like rather than the woman herself.

But Lily Potter had been a real woman. She had been a funny, slightly cheeky student that was intensely loyal to her friends and proud of her House. She had been brilliant in potions but preferred working with a wand on Charms and struggled a bit with Transfiguration even though she wound up with good marks. She had possessed a quick temper but rarely seemed to hold a grudge- that was the woman that Slughorn described and Harry glad had someone that spoke of her. Thus far, for both better and worse, Harry had only managed to learn about his father. He wondered, idly, why his own Head of House had never shared any stories with him for she had known them perhaps better than any of the other teachers, then had to admit to himself that he had never asked her to.

At long last they had reached their destination and Harry grimaced apologetically, "I know it's not the most orthodox place... my best guess was that this wasn't always a bathroom."

Slughorn appeared more bemused than disgusted by the location of the secret chamber. "I imagine there is quite a good story as to why you were able to discover this here of all places."

"Actually truth be told, it's probably even more interesting than whatever you're imagining," Harry told him with a wry grin.

Slughorn cackled wildly, "oh from you my boy, I have no doubt that you exceed my wildest imagination."

Harry hissed at the opening, causing SLughorn to jump slightly at the unnatural sound, and sure enough the chamber revealed itself. "I wasn't the first person to find it," he repeatedly softly. "You were here when it was last opened. You've seen what the monster could do. It was a basilisk," he added, almost off-hand. "Controlled by the Heir of Slytherin. Controlled by Tom Riddle."

Harry gazed at Slughorn and saw him jump at the name as though he had said the name Voldemort instead. "Riddle tricked the Headmaster, Dippet, into thinking that not only was it Hagrid that opened the chamber, but that he had been the one to stop all the attacks. He managed a Special Award to the school for committing murder. He fooled a lot of people, professor. And I heard that he once fooled you too."

Slughorn eyes were large and fearful, he was shaking his head as though he could scarcely believe what Barry was telling him. "No. No I never would have-"

"You made a mistake once because Tom Riddle seemed to be the perfect student. Whatever you told him, whatever information you gave him, he was the one that used it. Sir... quite honestly I don't care much about what happened 50 years ago, but I need to care about how to stop him now. You've seen what the Prophet had been saying about me. And I told you once already that their rumors are not always wrong."

Slughorn swallowed thickly, face stark white. "You mean...you mean to say...it's true?"

Harry nodded solemnly and Slughorn sagged, "I am immeasurably sorry my boy. For the fate that you've been given, for the mistakes that I've made, for the mistakes our world has made." Slughorn used his wand to withdraw the memory, the real memory. "I want to give you this as Lily's son but I beg you... please don't think too badly of me."

Interlude: Ravings from a Ravenclaw

Luna Lovegood was having a particularly odd week in her opinion. It wasn't that anything was glaring strange or something of great importance had happened and yet there was a strange feeling in the air. Luna noted to herself that no one else seemed to have taken notice of this but she had grown rather used to knowing that her normally clever Housemates did not see things as she did.

It had started in Divination, the Fifth Years were being taught this year by Professor Trawlaney, who was unfortunately very sad indeed that her classes were being split with a centaur. Luna herself wished that instead of trading off grade levels they could split all of the classes. She had the class two days a week and thought it would be delightful to have two different perspectives. In fact Luna very much wished that all of the classes were taught in that fashion. She loved her classes and her teachers but they had a certain style and way of doing things and mummy had always warned her about the dangers of thinking that magic had to be done in only one way.

Pandora Lovegood had been one of the greatest independent researchers that the Department of Mysteries had ever had. She had once told Luna that she had been offered the position of an Unspeakable but she had declined, saying that she didn't think it would be a good idea to allow the Ministry to control her mind as they did to all Ministry employees. Instead she did her experiments on her own, and gave them information only when she felt that it wouldn't be too dangerous to share with other people. She had used her own materials and a workshop in their home to develop new spells, or else test what was deemed 'the limits of spell capacity' because Pandora was quite certain that given the right circumstances that nothing was beyond the capacity of magic. The Impossible was simply what people had yet to discover.

Pandora and Xenophilius had fallen in love over their shared love for learning new things, finding new creatures, or creating new spells. They believed that man's greatest purpose was to first question and then to try and answer all of the mysteries of the universe and it was with a sense of adventure and wonderment that they had instilled this same desire for knowledge in their only daughter.

Luna took great pride in being a Ravenclaw. A House that had been built to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what wizards thought that they were once capable of doing. However, there were times when Luna admitted that she grew frustrated with her Housemates, who were more often than not more concerned with getting good grades than with actually learning the material. Her roommates had laughed at her when she had told them her idea of alternating every class between teachers so that they could learn twice the amount of information. Her Housemates claimed that with two different teachers grading essays or setting different expectations there would be no way to properly satisfy them both, making it harder to get an O in the class. Luna had argued that OWL standards were merely invented by the Ministry as a means of tracking potentially powerful or gifted wizards either for recruitment into their secret army or else using as subjects of study by the Unspeakables so they shouldn't matter at all. Instead it was learning the material that should be what mattered the most.

They had not agreed with her, instead, not for the first time, they had teased her and told her that she should never have been made a Ravenclaw. A strange sentiment in Luna's opinion since it was Rowena Ravanclaw herself that had said 'wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.' Luna didn't think that Rowena would have cared very much what grades they received as long as they had walked away with more knowledge than when they had first started.

But regardless of how Luna would have liked to have divided up the classes or how their grades would have been affected, it did very much grieve her that one of her favorite professors was so upset this year. Trelawney had a frankness about her predictions that was refreshing to Luna as had she very much wished that she had the same gift for sight that her professor- who saw things so easily and frequently- had.

They had been working on a unit with crystal balls. Now that they were in OWL level they were working on focusing on specific people or their predictions rather than simple 'passive gazing' which they had done in the past, where they did not have a subject in mind but allowed any future event to come to them. Trelawney was unwell once again but when she had come to gaze into Carly Brocklehurst's crystal ball she had frozen, her eyes suddenly clear and sharp instead of the dull, glaze they had been suffering under all term. "I think that's enough for the day everyone, I think it best if we end things now. Please be sure to complete your essays on what you saw today." The class had only been going on for all of 15 minutes.

Once they had descended the trapped door and started on their way down from North Tower a few people asked the most obvious question, "who were you trying to see?"

Carly shrugged, "well I was trying to look at Harry Potter, wasn't I? I mean everyone's been going on about he's the Chosen One, aren't you all curious?"

"What did you see?"

Carly shook her head, "don't be stupid, no ever sees anything in those balls. Trelawney's just gone off her nut again," she said and once again several people laughed. Luna looked thoughtfully up at the door where she knew the professor still was, wondering what she had seen. There had been very few times that Luna had ever seen anything in her own ball and Luna was disappointed that despite Trelawney's claims that she had an 'open aura', she was not very gifted in the subject. She had seen figures and a passing shade but none of the detail that their professor shared with them during each and every class. Luna felt that it was such a terrible shame that such a gifted and talented seer was not appreciated by her students.

The week only got stranger when the Ravenclaws came back to their Tower to find it clearly ransacked as though someone was looking for something. Luna had overhead quite a few fights in which friends were accusing one another of going through their things and Luna felt bad for them since she knew more than most how upsetting it could be to come back and find your things missing. She knew that her Housemates were just having a bit of fun at her expense and generally did not let it bother her but it was still rather inconvenient, especially at the end of term.

She felt that there must be quite the infestation of Wrackspruts because she noticed that while many people were acting out of sorts, Sue Li in particular was looking unlike herself. She wore a blank expression and had not reacted much when the rest of House was so clearly distraught. Luna had tried to talk to her but they were headed in different directions for their classes and by the time they had returned for the evening, the Wrackspruts must have left her alone because she had returned to usual friendly if rather shy self.

Ravenclaw Tower had been tense throughout the week but despite the through searching, nothing seemed to have actually been missing and eventually everyone agreed that it was a rather poor joke allowed the matter to drop. Luna herself found this to be a very strange decision- Ravenclaws generally loved puzzles, and what greater puzzle than trying to figure out what it was that someone was looking for in Ravenclaw Tower that the culprit had been unable to find. Was is valuable? Perhaps they thought someone had inherited the Lost Diadem and were searching for the knowledge. However, no one else seemed to think that it was of any great importance... not with end of term exams taking places before the holiday at least. Luna rather thought that perhaps that might have been the reason why someone had decided to search the Tower at that time in first place...

And now there was the party that she was attending because Neville Longbottom had asked her this morning after they had run into each other outside of the greenhouses. She liked Neville very much. He was nice to her and had even looked for her specifically when they had taken the train together. No one had ever specifically looked for Luna before and when he had told that he had looked in four compartments to find her she had been very pleased indeed. In the past couple of months Neville had been very busy with his schoolwork and she had seen him quite a few times either headed to the Owlery or else coming back with letters from home and she very much hoped everything was alright with his grandmother, who had been so nice that she had even written to Luna over the summer just to congratulate her on going to the Ministry to fight against He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters and asking to write with her own details about the incident.

Seeing Neville now for the first time in quite a while for an extended period she wondered if he ahd been bothered by quite a few wrackspruts over the last few months. While he smiled at her and was his same kind self, there was also something... very odd about him. But then, Luna thought, it was the week for odd things so it made sense that she would notice it now of all times.

Luna very much missed the D.A., it had been the closest she had come to having friends. But at least now she had Ginny who would study with her in the library and now that she was spending her time with Harry Potter, he would come sometimes as well. When she had seen Neville at the greenhouses, he had asked her how she had been doing, which was not a question she got asked often but she did not think that it was part of her 'odd' week. Neville was just a very friendly boy after all. When she had confessed that she been rather lonely without the D.A. Neville seemed to understand and then asked if she wanted to go a party with her. AS FRIENDS. It was the loveliest invitation to be able to go to a real party as someone's friend and Luna was delighted to be able to wear her silver spangled robes that were only used for occasions that caused great excitement.

Just after her ninth birthday Luna's mother had taught her that a real lady had to dress carefully for the meaning behind the events she attended. Black was for sadness. Yellow for joy and hopefulness. Red for passion and lust. Silver for excitement. As she arrived at the party, she worried that not everyone was quite as excited as she was to be there as she was since she did not see very much silver on the other guests and thought that to be quite a shame since there was so little to be excited about these days. However, she had seen Harry wearing silver trim so perhaps he was just a bit excited. That was very nice because Harry was not usually a very excited person though he certainly seemed excited these days whenever he was talking to Ginny.

Luna spent a few minutes greeting a few of Neville's friends before noticing that Professor Slughorn seemed to be leaving with Harry Potter which she found odd considering he was the one throwing the party and after all the trouble he had gone through it seemed a shame to miss it. She noticed that Ginny did not look very happy either and thought she was unhappy that Harry had not taken her with him.

She caught sight of Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown talking very quickly to a man that had the look of someone who had wrestled with a nargle and lost rather badly. Considering that one of them seemed to have spilled a drink on him, she felt that he was having a very bad day indeed.

Luna guided Neville over to her Gryffindor friend, "are you alright Ginny?"

Ginny frowned before brightening at the sight of her two friends. "Yeah, I'm fine, Harry's just... being Harry again," she said with frustration which Luna found peculiar.

"But I thought that you liked that he was Harry? Did you want him to be someone else?" Both Ginny and Neville looked surprised by this question before glancing at one another, exchanging a look that they both seemed to understand but Luna was not quite sure that she did.

"Harry's great," Neville said, his tone hesitant and Luna thought that he was more trying to remind himself of this fact than tell her, "really, he is. It's just... sometimes it's a bit hard always being in the shadows... and Harry casts a hell of shadow."

"And he doesn't do much to help you get out of them either," Ginny muttered clearly still upset with Harry leaving.

"What did Harry want with Slughorn?" Neville asked, his eyes curiously on the door that they had both walked out of.

Ginny shook her head, her frown deepening, "that is one of the many mysteries that are too important for Harry to tell me about," she answered, her tone sharp, causing Neville to raise his eyebrows and Luna to look at her friend with concern. While she had seen that Ginny had been unhappy with Harry leaving her at the party, she didn't think either of them had realized the extent of her anger at the situation.

They spent the next half hour talking about school and what they planned to do over break. Luna was looking forward to seeing her father and she was most confident that Cassius Newton would come back with evidence of his Crumple-Horned Snoracks since they were known to enjoy the lights set out for Yule. Neville was looking forward to seeing his grandmother, who Luna was pleased to hear was doing quite well, because she had working on some old family business and Neville was going to be able to help once he was on school holiday.

Harry Potter came back after a while and he was looking distinctly happy. Relieved was perhaps an even word, mixed with... proud. He walked over to Ginny's side and pulled her towards him, kissing he in greeting. Ginny stiffened and pulled back. "Finished with everything are you?"

Harry's good mood dimmed quickly but for once Luna did not think that there were any creatures affecting him. "Finished with everything that I have to do, and now I very much want to get to part where I spend time with people that I want to spend time with. I told you that I needed to talk to Slughorn," he seemed to remind her.

"Yes you did, you just refused to tell me why."

Harry's face tightened, "It's not that I don't want to tell you Gin, honestly. Its that I can't. This is... I promised Dumbledore. I know that you hate not what's going on, I understand- better than anyone else can understand, I do. But I'm telling you that I can't tell you. If it was something that had anything even remotely to do with you, I would but it doesn't it."

Ginny was about to retort to that statement when they were interrupted by a rather unusually disheveled Hermione, trying very hard to make her face less red.

"Are you alight Hermione?" Neville asked her.

Hermione had been looking back at Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown who seemed to fused themselves together rather uncomfortably judging from just how they were sitting in the armchair in the corner, before looking up, "oh fine. I'm fine I just escaped- er left Cormac that is. Under the mistletoe," she added and her disheveled appearance was finally explained. She had warned Harry only last year that nargles hid in mistletoe, perhaps that was he had pulled Slughorn out in the hall, to warn him as well. Apparently they hadn't been in time to stop them.

"Serves you right," Harry told her, his usually very nice voice rather cold.

"Don't start Harry."

"Hermione... you're better than this. A lot better than this. This whole thing has become ridiculous-"

"Yes well as much I appreciate your unsolicited opinion Harry, I'm not particularly in the mood to be told off right now." She turned to Ginny and muttered, "for the record when he invariably deserves his own taste of his medicine for doing... whatever it is that passes for logic among men, do yourself a favor and don't bite off your nose to spite your face. This was..." Hermione shivered as though an invisible ghost had passed through her, "probably the worst idea I've ever had."

"Well Hermione," Neville said raising his drink towards her in faux salute, "I suppose everyone is due for one every now and then."

Hermione eventually left to deal with her date, presumably after he had gotten away from the infested mistletoe, and Harry and Ginny seemed to have made up reasonably well from their fight. Luna returned that night to Ravenclaw Tower having enjoyed her very first party very much indeed.

End of Interlude

Harry had spent the early hours of the morning going over the contents of the memory that he had recovered from Slughorn before he was due to leave for the Burrow. Horcruxes. He didn't have to simply kill Voldemort, he needed to kill the bastard in seven bloody pieces. Harry felt as though the air was gone from his lungs, his legs were no longer solid beneath him. He had finished packing his things in a daze, not paying attention to the post-party discussions his dormmates were having and ignoring questions about what he was planning to do over the break. Seamus was complaining loudly about having to go and see him mum's sister in Ireland who he disagreed on just about everything with. Dean was looking forward to seeing his muggle girlfriend who he was still with despite the distance and the obvious difficulties with communicating with a muggle that was not aware of the magical world. Neville mentioned something about a special trip with his grandmother but Harry couldn't grasp the details with Dumbledore's words pounding in his head. Seven is the most powerful magical number...seven pieces to secure immortality... If a Horcrux is made, a person cannot truly die...

The strangest part was the uncomfortable feeling of...familiarity that Harry had gotten when he had first heard the word. It was though it was something he had known but had forgotten even though as Dumbledore explained what a Horcrux actually entailed, not only did Harry know for a fact that he had never heard of such dark magic, he was repulsed by the very idea of it. It reminded him of meeting Firenze in the forest his First Year when the centaur had explained to him what it meant to drink the blood of a unicorn "the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price...you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips." Even at eleven the idea had horrified him but he knew now that Voldemort had already cursed himself.

"I was ripped from my body, less than a spirit, less than the meanest ghost, but I was still alive."

And that had been truly all that Voldemort had cared about that night that he had returned. He said that it had been pain beyond all imagining. That he had been forced into possessing rats and other small creatures just to survive and yet Voldemort had still preferred that to the idea of dying.

Harry's own thoughts drifted to that dream-like vision he had had over the summer. How happy his parents had been there, how Sirius had seemed to shed himself of the years of misery and pain the moment he had gotten there, and how desperately a part of him had wanted to remain in by that sunny lakeside with his family. Harry very much liked his life at the moment. His friends, Ginny, even the day to day struggles of school and the excitement of Quidditch were all things that he would not give up without a fight. His parents had been right on that score, he would never give up but more than importantly he didn't want to give up. However, if the worst happened and he lost his life in the war, he would gladly go back to a place of peace and contentment rather than go to the insane lengths that a scared and twisted Tom Riddle had devised.

It wasn't until he was at McGonagall's fireplace that he realized that he had never seen Hermione after he had lost track of her the night before. Her parents had been adamant about her coming home for the holidays this year, and with her and Ron currently at odds with one another, Harry rather thought that they both were relieved to get a bit of distance between each other. He had been so distracted that he had not actively sought her out but he now wished that he had had the chance to talk about all of this before they were separated by the fortnight break. Hermione had a way of taking complicated situations and breaking them into manageable tasks and he knew he would feel better about what came next once he spoke to her. Unfortunately, now it was too late as he certainly couldn't relay any of this information to her via letter. He assumed that she had spent the morning packing up the last of the books before the train arrived for her and the rest of the students, the use of the floo network had been arranged for himself as well as Ron and Ginny for extra security in case Harry's arrival at the station was incentive for an attack. As Harry disappeared in swirl of green flame he made himself a resolution- at the Burrow he would truly be on holiday. He wouldn't worry about Voldemort, or Horcruxes, or the vampires or the Ministry. For a brief moment he wouldn't have to be Harry Potter, Chosen One, he would just Harry amongst his favorite family in the world.

Harry arrived at the Burrow and was almost immediately pulled into a warm hug from Mrs. Weasley who, as always, was delighted that he was staying with them. Harry smiled at the sight of the familiar living room, in the nearly 5 years that Harry had been coming to the Burrow it hadn't changed at all and Harry loved it, he had only gotten to stay for a single day over the summer and the Healers had tried to talk him out of even that much, claiming that it would be easier just to transport him directly to King's Cross, but Harry had managed to talk them into letting him out. Other than Hogwarts it was the closest thing he had ever had to a real home and he always felt better inside its lopsided but cozy walls. And he had been right, despite how tired and sore he had felt, he had felt immensely better under Mrs. Weasleys caring eye than the professional but aloof care of St. Mungo's.

Ron and Ginny quickly followed and were also greeted by their ecstatic mother. "Oh I'm so happy to have you all here for the holidays! It has been so very long since we've all had a proper Christmas with the family. We've got nearly everyone this year!" she boasted. "Bill and Fleur are coming and even Charlie is making the trip from Romania, Percy hasn't responded to my letter yet..." she paused ever so slightly as though she expected someone to correct her on this little indulgent fantasy but for once neither Ron nor Ginny said anything, though both of their expressions darkened greatly at the mention of their estranged brother.

"Oh and the twins are coming of course. They've agreed to spend the evenings here while you're all home for break even though they have to pop back to their shop during the day," Harry wondered how Mrs. Weasley had managed that since he happened to know that the twins were very happy living in the loft above their shop but he suspected she had unashamedly used the fact that they were at war and Christmas was a time for family to guilt them into staying. Harry had long since learned that despite their reputation, the twins were actually the softest-hearted Weasleys when it came to family loyalty.

"I am so happy you could come as well Harry. It wouldn't feel like the whole family was here without you," Mrs. Weasley finished with a fond smile and pat of his cheek.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, I love being here. It's really nice to spend Christmas with real family," he added thinking about what Professor McGonagall had said to him, grateful that his Head of House seemed to understand that family was not about blood at all.

That night they had a dinner that only Mrs. Weasley could have called simple. They had ten people in the cramped kitchen and the meal was in three courses, all wonderfully delicious. The room was loud and chaotic but that didn't stop all of the attention gathering on Harry and Ginny in the beginning of the meal when Fred boisterously pronounced, "so what's this I hear about Ginny doing what's Mum's failed to do for years and Harry officially making part of the family?"

It was not news that went down quietly. Harry had assumed that Ginny had written to her mother at some point to tell her that the two of them were together but apparently Ginny had saved that particular story to share with her parents face to face and Harry was soon engulfed in a particularly suffocating hug and exclaims at delight that the two of them were together, however, Mr. Weasley looked a bit more wary of the news- something that Harry had to admit stung him despite understanding the man's reservations. Molly Weasley might be a romantic who wanted her family to include all of the people that she cared about most, Arthur Weasley was a Ministry employee who knew that the war was worsening by the day and a time would come when Harry of all people could no longer hide from it. Bill and Charlie's reactions were more neutral, both seemingly taking the tact that this was a teenage romance and nothing more but each made sure to level Harry with a suspicious glance, letting him know that family would always come first, especially when it came to the possibility that anyone might be taking advantage of their baby sister. Fleur cooed at how 'adorable' the two of them were together but lamented the fact that her sister Gabrielle would be very disappointed indeed that 'mon Cherie Harry is off the market'.

Fred and George were predictably the most exuberant. They had seized on the idea that their two month relationship was destined for marriage and spent the night asking Ginny questions about what colors she would like to use and Harry how he felt about including some muggle traditions into the ceremony. Ron had been quiet, providing neither condemnation or support but by the tension in his face and tell-tale jiggling of his left leg Harry knew that his friend's attention was set on the conversation that he had decided to have his with his parents that evening. It was with this in mind that Harry had miraculously gotten the other Weasley siblings cleared out of the kitchen and into the living room under the pretext of an Exploding Snap tournament, allowing Ron some rare but much needed privacy with his parents.

Playing any game with Fred and George always proved to be exceptionally challenging for their were always unforeseen challenges but as it turned out Charlie was more than a match for his rumbustious younger brother- but then he did spend his time wrangling in fully grown dragons so Harry supposed he of all people was perhaps an even match after all. Ginny was spending some time catching up with Bill and Harry was pleasantly surprised to find himself in an interesting conversation with Fleur. Ever since the Second Task, the two of them had a friendly if rather condescension-ridden relationship but as they started talking about her job Gringotts and some of the finer differences between life in Britain and in France, with Harry's newly acquired knowledge of foreign nations from his recent Summit visit helping his side of the conversation, he found that was actually quite funny and remarkable insightful about politics.

It was as they were reminiscing about the TriWizard Tournament for the first time since they had been competitors that the other conversations started to trickle off. "You ran into a runespoor? That would have been a lot easier than the acromantula that I got!" Harry exclaimed.

"Not all of us are so gifted with parselmouth mon Cheri," Fleur answered with a laugh as Bill blinked in surprise. "I didn't know that there were acromantulas in the maze," he said. Having no doubt heard the account of everything from Fleur, Harry wasn't surprised. The part veela had never made it far enough in to come across it.

"Sphinx too actually. I don't think I ever wished I had Hermione's brains more than in that moment," Harry smiled, finding himself surprised that for the first time ever he was able to remember even part of that night with any degree of fondness. The only people he had ever spoken to about either the Third Task or what had happened after were Dumbledore, Sirius, Ron and Hermione but sitting her in the Burrow's living room with Ginny giving him a soft, affectionate smile as spoke, it felt as though something that had been broken in him for a long time was finally fixed. The topic of conversation shifted quickly after that and despite his newfound distance from the trauma of that night, Harry was grateful that even though they had spoken of the tournament no one had used that as means of asking further about that night.

Ron was gone longer than Harry had thought that he would be and he was beginning to feel anxious over how the conversation might be going. Ginny was the only other person who knew that Ron had been planning on discussing his parents' apparent concerns over his well-being and was much better at keeping everyone attention focused either on the game or else simple conversation than Harry, who had not spent much time with either Bill or Charlie. However, despite their best efforts, Ron's extended absence, coinciding with that of their parents' had not escaped anyone's notice and Harry knew that it was no secret at all as to what their youngest brother was talking to their parents about.

Harry recalled that strange feeling after his First Year of actually being wanted by a family and using the Weasleys as a template of how a real family should behave with one another. The Weasleys were loud, chaotic and occasionally the Burrow was a downright dangerous place with the twins around but they were loyal to one another and looked out for their family in ways that even after all this time took Harry occasionally by surprise. Harry knew that every single person in the living room knew what conversation was likely taking place in the kitchen but no one spoke of it, no one speculated about what might happen and when Ron finally emerged it was to a distinct lack of jokes from the twins.

Over an hour later Ron came out, his face set and shoulders tense, not pausing at the crowded, noisy living room. "Ronnie, where have you been? You can have next," George called out, his tone for once lacking any mocking or teasing for his younger brother.

"Forget it, I'm going to bed," Ron answered tightly, causing the rest of them stop their conversations and look up at their youngest brother with evident concern. Ron flushed slightly, realizing that perhaps it would have been better to have simply played with his siblings than draw further attention to himself but was now backed into a corner.

"You know, we were at Slughorn's party last night and I think we're all tired. Thank god I only had to hang out with Ginny, Ron had to deal with Lavender all night," Harry joked, "I'm going to go to sleep as well, we can do this another night, yeah?" There were several nods of consent and Harry hastily made his way after Ron into top-floor bedroom.

"Alright Ron?"

Ron let out a long breath before sinking down onto his bed, "yeah, it- it wasn't anything I didn't expect really."

"Well what did they say?"

Ron looked down for a minute, clearly collecting his thoughts before he finally sighed as he said, "first Dad told me that they felt bad about surprising me in Hogsmeade with a Mind Healer without even writing to me about it first. They even said that they should have learned their lesson when they basically did the same thing to you but they were worried that I wouldn't turn up at all if I knew what they were planning and I guess they thought that I would have to go along with it if, you know, they just asked for forgiveness instead of permission."

Harry nodded before grinning, "you showed them though."

Ron gave a weak laugh but his heart clearly wasn't in it. "They said that they were worried because I remind them Uncle Roger, but not just with our personality but with... with like how I get angry, or how when I'm in a bad mood I don't pull out of it. I told them that it's not like that and then they said what Hermione always says," he said this with a harder edge to his voice, a bitterness from their recent argument.

"That you should talk to the Mind Healer and make sure that you're fine? I kind of thought that's what you had decided to do anyway," Harry said honestly.

Ron grimaced, "it all sounded good when I was talking about it with you but with them..."

Harry nodded his understanding, he could very well picture the tearful eyes that Mrs. Weasley had used on her youngest son, full of unwanted, and more than likely completely unwarranted, concern and how it would raise Ron's defenses.

Harry scratched the back of his head, unsure what he should be saying. He didn't feel like he could give good advice. He would have fought tooth and nail against having to talk to a stranger about himself, but then again he also didn't have the slightest idea what it was like to have parents that were genuinely worried about you.

"I told them I would do it," Ron said after a moment of silence. "I mean I told them that they were wrong and that I didn't need it but if it was going to just make everybody feel better than I would do it. I think they're gonna ask Bill to ask his friend Sarah to come round for tea over the holiday." Ron groaned, "which means that everyone is going to know about it."

Harry winced sympathetically, "honestly mate, I've seen your family write a chain of letters over Charlie's new boots. Your mum started a three-month multiple howler relay about whether or not Bill should get a haircut. I sort of think everyone was always going to know."

Ron laughed more genuinely this time, "yeah I suppose you're right about that. Any of them say anything while I was in with Mum and Dad? Anytime one of us is talking to both Mum and Dad alone the rest of us hold our own war council on it."

Harry laughed, having been witness to at least one these when the twins had been pulled into the kitchen for a particularly involved prank and the rest of the family had taken bets on the punishment- Ginny had walked away with four galleons and a distinctively smug swagger to her walk.

But after a moment he grew serious, "er actually, no one said anything but... I'm pretty positive that everyone's figured out why you were talking to them."

Ron groaned once more but nodded, "is it at all weird that I really wish Fred and George had really taken the mickey out of me for this?" Harry gave a weak laugh but understood. One of the things that had helped him get through those terrible months when almost everyone in the castle was convinced that he was the Heir of Slytherin were Fred and George shouting at the top of their lungs to 'make way for the seriously evil wizard' because then he had at least known they had not taken the accusations seriously. Their polite silence now was more troubling than if they had simply presented Ron with a straight-jacket and told him that they would be sending him fun flavors of jello.

HPHPHP

Despite Ron's apprehension about the tea and unofficial Healer appointment that was set for Dec. 30th, the coming days were the most relaxing that Harry had had in months, possibly years. He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been worried, or angry, or just so busy with something to do with the war that he barely had time to sleep but here at the Burrow, there were none of these concerns. The twins had indeed come by each evening and told them all that their shop was a run-away success. They had also told Harry privately, while grinning widely, that the news of a secret investor had spread and it had become a sort of covert game for customers to come to the shop and try and guess who their silent partner might be. The twins had never even confirmed that they had a silent partner but the rumor had only sparked additional interest and they swore that the mystery of a secret business partner was almost better advertising than any of their traditional adverts. Harry had been surprised both by the news and by his own uncharacteristically giddy excitement at being at the center of a mystery that was actually about him for a change when no one knew it- instead of the reverse of everyone knowing something about him that usually wasn't even true.

The best part of the break was being able to spend several uninterrupted hours with Ginny. While Ginny had been upset with him the night of Slughorn's party for his abrupt departure, the break from all of the chaos did the two of them a world of good. They spent hours talking, cuddling beside the fireplace and- on the rare occasions when they could find a truly private moment with so many Weasleys underfoot- snogging rather passionately. Ginny spoke about what it had been like during her First Year as she had slowly started to lose herself to the diary. Harry vented his frustrations about having to balance so many different things at one time and the fears that he might not be able to do them all.

It was novel experience for him, sharing his insecurities, and he had been hesitant at first but it helped that Ginny was so open with him. The trust she showed in him meant everything to him and though he knew he was not as free with his expressions as she was, it was still the most vulnerable he had ever allowed himself to be with another person and he found that in spite of the fear that came with opening himself up after so many years of presenting nothing but a brave face to the world, there was a sense of relief as well. And pride. Harry had always suffered under a secret, most often deeply-buried, fear that the Dursleys had in fact ruined him in some fundamental way. He had no concept of a getting comfort from a parent and found it difficult in most situations to even ask for advice from adults. Even with Ron and Hermione, he tended to discuss facts and plans rather than his feelings. Occasionally, Hermione in particular would push him to talk in order to ensure that he was alright but he had always held a small portion of himself back from allowing them to see his weaknesses. But in those quiet moments where Harry confessed his feelings for one of the first times in life, he found unexpected strength in them.

It was the best Christmas of his life and Harry found himself reaching towards that dream of a real life after the war. A simple one with no Dark Lords, no press hounding them, no oaths of loyalty from vampire clans. And as he and Ginny sat close together watching the snow fall gracefully from the sky on Christmas Eve, sipping hot cocoa and listening to the rather grating voice of Celetina Warbeck at Mrs. Weasleys insistence, Harry had the thought strike him like a thunderbolt that he was truly content for one of the first times in his life.

Christmas dinner was a fun and relaxed affair as well. A number of Order members joined them throughout the day. Remus joined them for most of day, looking particularly care-worn as he had been working with the werewolves. In fact, his ex-Defense teacher was looking distinctly ill and Harry was growing worried for him and so it was with this in mind that he broke his own rules of not worrying about the war over the holiday in order to ask Remus what he thought the werewolves were likely to do. He confided that Raymond was working to keep the Clan focused on the vampires but many of them wanted revenge on the werewolves. Harry was convinced that another war was about to break-out in the midst of the one they were already in and he wondered if Remus had any insights of what could be done.

His father's last remaining friend had looked surprised with how much Harry knew about the Clan's plans as well as some of the Ministry's ideas for dealing with both the werewolves and the vampires- who despite all reason still tended to lump together under the simple umbrella of 'dark creatures'. Harry wondered why Remus was so surprised by his knowledge when the Prophet had been printing his involvement for months until it occurred to him that aside from a few conversations, Harry had not spoken much to Remus since Third Year, and the man still thought of him as rather naïve, if somewhat unusually cynical, thirteen year old.

He let the matter drop for the moment but he hoped that he would have the opportunity to get more information from a person that was in a unique position to get the unvarnished truth from the werewolves. As hard as Harry tried to stay objective during their discussions and do what he thought would best help their chances against Voldemort he had to admit that he was biased against the pack that had savaged murdered so many people in cold blood. He thought that it would help, hearing things from Remus' perspective. Someone that he thought of as a friend first and a werewolf only as a technicality. And if nothing else he wanted the conflict with the werewolves over quickly if no other reason than to get Remus out of whatever he was doing, as it seemed as though his health depended on it.

Tonks stopped by much later after having had dinner with her parents and Harry grinned at her as he called her outside where he was still in conversation with his old Defense professor. After their initial rocky start, he and Tonks had settled into an almost surprisingly friendly mentor/mentee relationship. Tonks was not that much older than him and had quickly realized that life experience alone set them almost as equals. While Harry certainly deferred to her when it came to their training, the two of them had found that they had a similar sense of humor and had taken to ribbing one another quite often. They had an easy banter that Harry had found came surprisingly easy when he stopped to consider he had really only known her for a couple of months outside of a few meetings here and there.

"Wotcher Potter, you get beat by any impressive First Years yet? I can't imagine you're up to dealing with the Second Years with the way I handled you last week."

Harry pretended to look hurt, "just wait until I'm really trying Tonks..." Harry had only been kidding her but there was funny light in her eyes as he spoke that made it seem as though she actually believed him, even if he was actually less than confident. He had learned that, despite her clumsiness in day to day life, Tonks had been the dueling champion of her Auror Class and was quite the force to be reckoned with. While Harry was fairly certain that he held his own reasonably well, he had yet to win an actual fight against her.

"Er...hello Dora, its'...nice to see you," Lupin offered looking especially self-conscious.

Tonks regarded him coolly but Harry knew enough to know that the sentiment meant quite a lot to her. She had confided in him that despite how things had played out, she was still in love with him. However, in the weeks following their confrontation, Tonks had also made the rather difficult resolution to move on. She would not wait for someone that was unwilling to put in the effort. Harry felt sad that Lupin would not allow himself the happiness that Harry knew firsthand came from being with someone that you cared about.

"You as well... you're looking particularly awful you know. You don't need to be staying with them," she offered bluntly. "It's not worth this."

Lupin sighed, "Dora..."

"She's right you know," Harry interjected quickly because Tonks was right. When Harry had first seen Lupin on the train Third Year he had thought him ill and unkempt, but now Lupin looked like a down-and-out that down to their last pair of decent trousers and was so pale that he looked more like one of the vampires than a werewolf. "You got the information that you need, anything else we can find out by negotiations with the werewolves." And it was true, as much as he wanted to hear Remus' opinion on matters he hated the idea of him killing himself for people that might very well turn around and side against him. Remus' life wasn't worth risking for scrapes of information and the longshot that a newfound member of the pack would persuade anyone not to join Voldemort.

Lupin's scowled, and for the first time since that night in the Shrieking Shack, Harry saw him truly angry "you both don't understand-"

"We understand enough to know that you want to think that this will be important," Tonks said impatiently, her hair and eyes both turning a fiery red. "I'm not as stupid or as naïve as you would like to think that I am Remus. I know that you would want to help, we all do. We all want to think that if we give up enough, if we suffer enough that it will mean something. And that we will win because we've all done the right thing but I'm not the one being naïve! Any contacts that you have that will give you worthwhile information will give it to you regardless of whether or not your falling all over yourself to prove that you're a 'real werewolf' or whatever that is supposed to mean. And as long as we're telling hard truths, no one is going to be overjoyed to be switch sides to follow someone that looks as though the next full moon might well be their last! I suggest you get your bloody head out of your own ass Remus and recognize that you are already a valuable member of the Order without having to kill yourself in the process. It's about time that you stop pretending to be strong and actually have the courage to stand up for yourself!"

Remus blinked, his mouth gaping as Tonks stormed back into the house. Harry winced at the older man apologetically. He had known that Tonks was frustrated with him but he had not expected her to unload the way that she had. "You're not weak for doing what you think is right," Harry finally said quietly before thinking and adding even more softly, "if that's what you're actually doing."

Remus took a trembling breath, "I told you over the summer Harry... you don't really know me. You know that I was friends with James at school. You know that I fought for the Order and that I fight against Voldemort but... its all so much complicated than that."

They were quiet for a long moment and Harry could hear the laughter coming from the house in one direction colliding with the silence from the field in front of them. "Harry... that night we found out the truth about Sirius, didn't it ever occur to you ask why my closest school friends thought that I was the traitor of the Order? There were over a score of other members, there was no reason to think that the traitor had to come from our group of school friends and yet... didn't any of you question why I wasn't even surprised that they would suspect me?"

Harry hesitated a moment because the truth was that question had occurred to him but more in the abstract of how anyone could question their friend's loyalty in such a way, not to the point that he had truly believed that the suspicion had been justified.

Remus looked out over the lightly snow-covered field, his expression far off as though he was not looking at the landscape but at images of a past that could never be recaptured. "There is a good reason why werewolves are considered dark creatures." Harry looked up sharply but Remus held up a hand to keep him silent. "Prejudice, stereotypes- they don't paint the whole picture but that doesn't mean that they don't start with a grain of truth, most times at least," Remus added with small shrug.

"There is a certain... bloodlust that comes with my kind that while muted on every night except the full moon is never completely gone. People like Tonks... your father and Sirius, they truly like to believe the best in people. They will tell you that werewolves are just people that suffer a monthly affliction- nothing more, nothing less, but like most things it is not that simple. I'm not as innocent as you would probably like to believe Harry. I can be ruthless when I need to be."

Harry frowned thinking of his own failed attempt at casting the Cruciatus. He was quite ready to share that particular foible, nor was he sure that hearing that he wasn't able to cast it because he evidently didn't truly want to cause pain help in this particular conversation. "Remus... so are most people, when they need to be. We're at war. I'm not stupid enough to think that not only are people on our going to die but we're going to have kill others too. The only way this ends is if someone kills Voldemort... and if I get the chance I'm going to do it. And I think I'll actually even feel bad about it, which is sort of insane really, but I'll do it. Because it has to be done."

"We're talking about two different things," Remus sighed, his expression tired. "Maybe... but anything that might have happened in the past, is in the past. Do you want to know what real ruthlessness is? Do you have any idea how much... pleasure that Voldemort and even his Death Eaters get out hurting people? Or how Voldemort can kill someone and not even feel anything at all? You're not like that Remus, that much I know for sure. No one is perfect and being a werewolf has nothing to do with it."

Remus was frowning back at the house with an unreadable expression but his eyes were following Tonks through the window. "Remus I think the two of us know better than anyone that life is short, and there are a lot of things that you can't control, so why choose to be unhappy when you don't have to be?"

Remus didn't answer and Harry walked quietly back into the house, unsure if he had left an impression or not.

The afternoon of January 30th, Harry finally got see Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes along with Ginny. She and Ron had both seen it over the summer but even she had been impressed by the scores of customers that were in the store despite it being after Christmas. The shop itself was the very embodiment of Fred and George. They showed him around, well as giving him an unofficial tour of the backroom business in which the twins had secured a highly lucrative and important contract with the Ministry providing safety materials for their employees for the war.

They returned to the Burrow with the Twins in time for dinner, all of them rather anxious to hear how Ron's appointment had gone. As it turned out, a Mind Healer while similar to a therapist in the muggle world was in fact quite different in the fact that they could use leglimency to help diagnose any problems. Apparently a conclusive mental health analysis in the muggle world was not an exact science and could take several weeks or even, at times, months to completely understand the mind of a patient. Sarah Walker had said it would take about 2 hours to both scan and then talk through what she saw with Ron.

As they came inside they caught sight of both of the Weasley parents grinning and looking distinctively relieved and Harry let out a small breath that he had not even fully realized that he was holding in. Fred and George shot them a questioning look and Mrs. Weasley said, "everything is just fine. Everyone else is in the kitchen if you want to join them." And suddenly that was all that needed to be said.

In the kitchen Ron was sitting with Bill and Charlie who was looking rather bemused at the moment as they were currently in the middle of rather heated debate as to who was secretly the bigger troublemaker in their youth, each taking credit for quite a few things that that took Harry, who had always imagined the other Weasley siblings quite tame in comparison to Fred and George, by surprise. "And not only did I change Aunt Muriel's robe in the middle of dinner to bright fuchia, I managed to get you blamed for it which is even better," Charlie argued smugly.

"You two really are quite adorable, trying to win second place in this contest behind our backs so we can't even shake our heads at you," Fred greeted them, deftly snatching the apple that Charlie had been idly tossing into the air and taking a bite out of it.

"And to imagine... you two were supposed to be our role models." George sighed, making it unclear if he was disappointed that his older brothers were secretly causing mischief when they were supposed to setting a good example, or disappointed that they weren't better at causing mischief. Harry was almost positive it was the former.

The Weasley siblings continued to joke and laugh with one another and if Ron was slightly quiet, Harry had the impression that this time he was the only one that notice. When the others were loudly arguing points in favor of their various Qudditich teams Harry whispered over to Ron. "So everything is alright?"

Ron nodded with a smile. "Yeah it is," Ron hesitated and there was something unreadable in his expression. "I'll tell you all about everything she said but... not here. It's nothing," he was quick to reassure Harry. "it's just I think you would probably understand better." Harry nodded and resigned himself to waiting until Ron was ready to talk. In the meantime Ron was finally roused from his relative silence as he realized that in the unofficially ranking system the family had put together the Cannons were dead last- and that would not stand at all.

However Harry's temporary peace was shattered the night of New Year's Eve. At the news that Ron was officially in good health, the twins had announced that the news that their younger brother actually possessed documented proof that he was mentally stable required a celebration and had prepared for the event 'with aplomb'.

However, even the twins known love of chaos had not factored in the surprise appearance of their older brother- Percy Weasley had come home at last. They were all assembled in the back garden, enjoying the fireworks display that Fred and George had created, when a quiet voice behind them all cleared his throat. Harry spun, wand already drawn at the expected intrusion, an action missed by no one present, but Molly only had eyes for her prodigal son. "Oh Percy..."

"Hello mother... I was sorry to have missed Christmas, but I didn't want to start the New Year without having...addressed our differences."

Harry saw Mr. Weasley frown at the phrasing but his wife was too caught up in the moment to care very much what was being said as long as it meant that Percy had come home. Everyone else was glaring at Percy, anger clear on their faces.

"Our differences? Is that how you remember it Perce? Because the rest of us remember you walking out because your job was more important to you than your family," Fred said disapprovingly.

Percy shifted uncomfortably, "I will admit that the Minister took a short sighted and... misguided view of the situation but that doesn't change the fact that I was the only one that thought about the safety of this family."

"Safety? Percy we were talking about the return of You-Know-Who! No one was safe!" Bill exclaimed.

"There was no reason for us to be involved in the conflict last year. We weren't at war yet, you were needlessly placing yourselves at risk because of your association with him," Percy nearly snarled the accusation as he pointed at Harry who felt very much as though he had been punched the stomach and had the wind knocked out him, though he felt the emptiness being filled with pure unadulterated anger.

Harry had worked hard to keep his own animosity with Percy away from the Weasleys, even Ron only knew the broad strokes because Harry had not felt it right to ever make his best friend choose between supporting him and his family but now he had been pushed too far.

"I have never asked them to put themselves in danger! Don't go changing history now, you can't claim that there was no proof that Voldemort was back and also claim that I was dragging your family into danger!"

"It all comes to the same thing, doesn't it? If he wasn't back you were ruining our reputation and position in the Wizarding World, and if he was actually back you were endangering their lives. My parents have done everything for you and all you do is take advantage of them at every turn."

"That is enough!" Mr. Weasley shouted and Harry had never seen the usually amiable man so enraged. Mrs. Weasley was pale but Ron... who was shaking as he shouted at the same time, "go fuck yourself Percy.

"Ron!"

"No! I've had enough of this! Harry has done more for us than you ever did Percy! He saved Ginny's life, he saved Dad's life and where the hell were you? You need to get over your damn self because in case I didn't make it clear enough for you, let me spell it you shall I? If you ever ask me to choose between you and Harry, I will choose him every time!"

Percy's face was chalk white and he was trembling slightly as he took in the hostile glares from his family. Mrs. Weasley was openly sobbing at this point and Mr. Weasley seemed to be struggling with himself not hit something. "I see," Percy said quietly. "Its never been much of a secret how I was regarded in this family. I understand that but if you choose to side with... with a boy that will bring Death Eaters to your doorsteps don't later claim that you were never warned. I am sorry that I didn't believe that You-Know-Who was back last year. I- I was wrong about that, but that doesn't mean that I'm wrong now. The Ministry..." Percy turned to his father. "You must see how bad things have gotten. You must know that all you're doing is putting yourself in needless danger."

"Because we're Purebloods?" Ginny, who had been surprisingly quiet up until now finally asked. "We're Purebloods so we should turn a blind eye to what will happen because if just jump on board and keep our mouths clothes, we can blend right in?"

Percy swallowed, "there's a time to be brave and stand up for what's right and... there's a time to know when you haven't got a chance of winning."

It was Mrs. Weasley that spoke and her voice was shaking as she said them, "there's never a time to give into fear and call it practicality Percy. We do what right. Even when its hard, especially when its hard because that's when it matters the most. I love you dearly my son, I always will... but do come back to my house until you've thought long and hard about what truly matters to you."

Mrs. Weasley walked slowly back to the house, her walk slower than normal, her shoulders hunched as though she was holding an enormous burden. As and though they were part of one person, Harry and the rest of the family turned back to Percy- too sad at this point to be angry. Harry noticed that it was officially past midnight. The New Year had begun it felt appropriate that it would start this way, his break was at an end and there was work to be done.

A/N: So I hadn't planned to do anything from Luna's POV this chapter but I got a challenge from Taurus Ara Black to write about what happened in Ravenclaw Tower from her view and I thought I would give it a try. And let me say- writing Luna Lovegood is really, really hard! I've seen quite a few fics where Luna is a true Seer or otherwise gifted with knowledge that no one has, but I don't really see any evidence of that. In fact in the books she never even claims to see any of these creatures herself, she just assumes that they are around based on what's happening. Though I do find her to be insightful and perspective, I also found that many of the so-called 'crazy' things that come out of her mouth seem to be more conspiracy based rather than simple imagined creatures. Stubby Boardman is really Sirius Black, the Minister is a vampire, the Rotgang Conspiracy- all ideas that come from her father but Luna believes in them whole heartedly so I tried to think about what other things Luna would believe and I thought Professor Trelawney would probably be one of them. Also- I know in the book Luna had Firenze 5th year but I had to change it. Please let me know what you think of Luna. Too sane? Too paranoid?

Harry's training: Like I've said, I consider Harry to be a powerful wizard, particularly for his age however, nothing annoys me more than when I read an otherwise good story but its then casually mentioned that Harry spent a month at Privet Drive re-reading his textbooks (alongside more extra books than Hermione somehow) and is beating every Auror there is after two weeks of training. Harry is good- he's not super-human. So the way I see it, even though he keeps talking about Tonks beating him, he's actually doing very well for a 16 year old that is almost entirely self-taught against a trained Auror with a few years experience but he isn't able to actually beat her.